The present invention relates to an electromagnetic counter such as that which is installed in various types of precision equipment such as gaming machines, copiers and printers for example, and more specifically to an improvement in an illumination arrangement for such an electromagnetic counter.
As described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 57-93487, a known example of an electromagnetic counting mechanism is provided with an electromagnet, an anchor rotated by magnetization and demagnetization of the electromagnet, a lowest digit number wheel which is formed on its side with a ratchet gear that engages with a tab formed on the end of the anchor, and a predetermined number of additional digit number wheels having transmission gears formed on their sides, and pinions which are operatively interposed between these number wheels and which operatively interconnect the transmission gears.
In addition, this electromagnetic counting mechanism normally exhibits dust resistance via its disposition within a case so as to prevent obstruction of the rotation of the anchor due to adherence of iron filings or the like which are produced by the iron core magnetized by the electromagnet. The case may have, for example, a frame member, in which the electromagnet, anchor and number wheels are disposed at predetermined locations, and can be covered with a box-shaped cover member.
In this manner, an electromagnetic counter housing an electromagnetic counting mechanism facilitates handling and installation as a unit. However, it is often incorporated in various types of precision equipment such as gaming machines, copying machines or printers, which count, for example, the number of coins or number of pieces of paper fed, and thus frequently installed inside the aforementioned precision equipment, a problem arises that as the interior of the precision equipment has a complex structure and is dark, and the counter is not provided with a light emitting function, there are cases wherein it is difficult to read the values displayed on the counter. In such cases, there is no choice but to perform the bothersome task of reading the values by illuminating the inside of the precision equipment with a flashlight or the like.
In order to resolve such shortcomings, although the installation of a separate illumination lamp that illuminates the number wheels inside the precision equipment or the incorporation of a miniature light bulb inside the counter has been considered, due to the recent prominent trend of reducing the size of the precision equipment in which electromagnetic counters are installed, electromagnetic counters are also becoming increasingly small, thereby making it extremely difficult to install an illumination lamp either inside the precision equipment or inside the case of an electromagnetic counter. In addition, even if a confined space was secured and a miniature light bulb was installed therein, since the illumination service life of a miniature light bulb is short due to the use of a filament for the light source, it becomes necessary to periodically replace the light bulb, thereby resulting in the problems of bothersome maintenance work and its accompanying cost due to the confined installation space.
In addition, in the case of an electromagnetic counter of the type in which an electromagnetic, anchor and number wheels are housed within a case in which a cover member is fixed to a frame member, since replacement of the light bulb is essentially impossible, the problem arises in which it becomes necessary to replace the entire electromagnetic counter.
In order to solve these problems, the entity to which the instant application is assigned, previously filed patent for a novel electromagnetic counter having a built-in illumination means that can be housed in an extremely confined space within a compact electromagnetic counter, that requires hardly any maintenance and that is inexpensive (see Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-26803).
Irrespective of the improvements which are achieved by the arrangement disclosed in the above mentioned Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-26803, an examination of the technical contents of the electromagnetic counter with a built-in illumination means previously proposed by the present applicant revealed that there was still room for improvement with respect to the following points.
Namely, although the previously proposed electromagnetic counter is inserted into an enclosure such as a box-shaped cover member, and a frame member provided with an electromagnetic counting mechanism composed of an electromagnet, anchor, number wheels etc., and disposes a flexible board, on which is mounted a light emitting diode for illuminating the number wheels, in a confined space formed between the frame member and cover member, there is the risk that the mounted light emitting diode will provide insufficient illumination effects if only one or two used, while the mounting of a large number of light emitting diodes leads to increased costs. In addition, there are numerous cases in which it is difficult to mount a large number of light emitting diodes in light of the amount of space which is available.
In consideration of the circumstances of the prior art as described above, the object of the present invention is to further improve upon the previously proposed electromagnetic counter having a built-in illumination means that can be housed in an extremely confined space within a compact electromagnetic counter, requires hardly any maintenance and is inexpensive, by providing a novel electromagnetic counter with a built-in illumination means capable of obtaining efficient illumination effects using one or a few light emitting diodes.